[yoshiposhi]

Hi Everyone!

So I have a 5 month old APBT/Am Staff mix (at least that's what I think she is because she seems pretty small for a APBT) and though she is less hyper than a month or 2 ago, I think I might be physically exercising her too much.

So far for the last couple of weeks, her daily routine with me is:

6:30-730am -- Play date with a 10 month old BC/Shep mix and a 4 month old rhodesian/malinios mix (usually about 30 mins), 15 mins of obedience training before I leave for work
noon -- I come home for lunch, feed her, let her out for a potty break, 15 mins of obedience training
5pm-until bedtime (around 930pm) -- Sometimes she gets another playdate with a 2 year old mini aussie (usually about 45 mins to an hour of running around and playing), ORwe'll go on a trail walk ranging from 30-45 mins. She'll get another 15-20 mins of obedience training and then regular play at home like tug, fetch (she only fetches inside the apartment for some reason, shes too distracted at the park trying to eat tall grass and sticks). Usually by 830/9pm she jumps on the couch and passes out next to me. 10pm is usually when I go to bed so I'll move her to the bed afterwards.

The trail walks are always off leash. She's really good keeping at a close distance, always looks back to check if I'm still behind her. I teach her how to "stay close" when joggers and cyclists go by. We go at her pace, she stops from time to time to sniff/potty etc. Once in a while the walks can be an hour if we're trying out new trails.

My concern is if I'm giving her too much physical exercise that it's going to affect her growth and her joints in the long run. I haven't weighed her recently but she's a little over 20 lbs. A lot of people have mentioned that she's very small for a pittie and I have no idea how big she is going to get. I'm assuming about 30-40 lbs. I don't know how big her parents are, my friend that got her (from craigslist) said that the "breeder" hasn't returned any of her messages so who knows. I've read online that in general, pit bulls usually stop growing after 2 years of age.

I only have these two pictures that my friend got from the "breeder".

The first picture is the father, second is the mother.

Edit: I just wanted to note that I don't use the trail walks to tire her out necessarily. I know the general rule is 5 mins per month, so if she's 5 months then its 25 mins. It's just nice spending time with her out in the trails because here in Vancouver we have an abundance of beautiful nature trails and I love being outdoors. Also I know she really enjoys being able to explore on her own, its just a really fun enjoyable time together. Another bonus is that all these trails are very shaded which is good for the summer time because she heats up very quickly because she is a very dark brindle.

 

[Rain]

Seems fine to me.

The exercise thing is with sustained exercise, like running with the pup, on hard surfaces, and dog sports where the dog is going to be doing a lot of jumping and running like agility and Disc Dog. Those are the type of things that will damage the growth plates. Letting a puppy run and play at it's own pace should not hurt the growth plates, and going on trail walks where the ground is soft should be fine.

 

[yoshiposhi]

@Rain ohhhh ok thanks! Good to know!

 

[Esand]

My vet told me that more exercise on soft surfaces was essential as a pup because it builds up muscles which support the skeletal structure and that the problem was mostly with walking on unforgiving surfaces.

 

[yoshiposhi]

My vet told me that more exercise on soft surfaces was essential as a pup because it builds up muscles which support the skeletal structure and that the problem was mostly with walking on unforgiving surfaces.

I've read about that too and the trails aren't paved concrete but I guess it still feels "hard" from the rocks and dirt so I was a little concerned.

 

[Chas]

The uneven surface helps, part of thes issue with activity on paved paths is that bio mechanically every step is the same. Injuries tend to occur from a single traumatic event or repetative small events, the latter is the issue with activity on paved surfaces.